Comfort
by knacc
Summary: Everyone is on edge after what happened at Control Core Angel. Maya and Krieg are no exception. Sequel to Preservation Instincts.


Maya has been sitting at the map table in the main room for an hour, taking apart and cleaning her guns with an air of forced calm. Krieg can tell its forced from how her hands jerk as they remove each piece and from the twitch of a frown that keeps appearing on her lips. It's not surprising that she is upset or that she's on edge, everyone is. The last mission was a complete and total failure on all parts: No Vault Key, Lilith captured, Roland murdered and Angel, well… no one feels great about what happened to her either. What is surprising is that no matter what he says about how he's just getting in the way or making things worse, Krieg refuses to leave.

_Please_, he begs for maybe the hundredth time that hour, _Let's just get out of here. The last thing she needs right now is to be on babysitting duty. We can go be upset somewhere else, somewhere we are not in the way_. Krieg snarls at the request and continues to wear a groove into the floor with his pacing.

"Alright," she breathes out her nose with a huff, "Come over here and sit down."

_See what I mean, you're bothering her. Let's just leave quick-_ His heavy footfall suddenly stops and ignoring his suggestion, he stomps over to sit down in the seat Maya had suggested. Krieg sighs inwardly, _Alright fine but you better be on your best behavior._

"This worked last time so I'm just going to try talking and... yeah." She stops fussing with her SMG and turns to him. "Just so you know, the monks on Athenas used to mock my oration skills at the best of times and I already used all my good stories so I'm not sure..." She trails off, looking at her hands in her lap and frowning.

Krieg tilts his head but stays quiet.

The silence between them stretches out until finally she clears her throat and says, "Okay, so the thing is, you're upset. Well so am I. I spent my whole life training, learning how to use my powers and how to fight. I learned discipline and eventually, I learned to take control of my own life. What I never learned though, was how to deal with shit like this. What am I supposed to do when I can't just meditate and find my center again?" She clenches her hands into fists. "I don't really know. I just feel so angry and helpless. I'm sure I'll feel a bit better once I put a bullet between Jack's eyes but still…"

At the mention of Jack's name, Krieg yells, "EAT SHIT AND DIE, ASSHOLE!"

"Yeah, I'm right there with you on that one." She looks up from her lap and smiles at him. "I'm just not sure that will be enough this time. He's caused so much damage and hurt so many people. There's no justice to be had. Just revenge." She pauses, eyes darting from meeting his to her lap and back again before continuing, "It's stupid but the thing that I can't get over is Angel, how not even a month ago, I was just like her: trapped, manipulated for some asshole's own ends. But I got out and she never got the chance. Never got to be her own person. Just because she was a siren. It's just… I don't know, shit."

Krieg growls and watches the corners of Maya's mouth pull into a grimace as she pauses.

She balls her hands into fists, her voice getting lower. "All of this is shit. What's happened to Lilith. And Roland. And Bloodwing. The people in New Haven and Overlook. And the Preserve. All of it's shit. All those people dead or hurt and right now it feels like there's nothing I can do. Nothing." She breathes out through her nose, before slapping her hand down on the table, letting out a short cry of frustration.

_Maya_, he thinks, wishing desperately that he could do or say something that would make her feel better. That he was capable of providing her comfort instead of just the other way around. He feels himself take in a big breath and thinks, _Wait no, don't you dare_, but it's too late. Throwing his head back, Krieg lets out a bellow that seems to shake the very building, his deep voice resonate and clear. After a minute, his voice finally begins to taper off, only to be joined by another. Krieg turns and sees, to his surprise, that it's Maya, head back, mouth open wide and eyes closed. She looks primal, perhaps a little unhinged but no less stunning than normal. He takes a deep breath and starts shouting again. Their voices mix together, not into something beautiful but instead into something pure and forceful, like a storm. After a long moment where they shout their anger and frustration, their hatred and their fears at the sky, their joint cry finally starts to die off, their breath ragged.

Krieg looks over at Maya and she looks better, calmer, the line of her shoulders more relaxed than before. He shakes his head in disbelief. _Holy shit, buddy, I think you you did something good for once. Good job._ And he feels his mouth curl into a smile at that.

A moment later, Krieg hears the clattering of boots on the stairs. And then Axton pops out, nearly at a run. Panting, he says, "You two alright? I heard screaming and I just assumed-"

Maya bursts out laughing then, the ridiculousness of the situation finally hitting her. She manages to gasp out, "Yeah sorry, we didn't mean to worry you," between chuckles, her hand over her mouth in an attempt to stifle the noise.

Axton looks from Maya to Krieg and back again, his eyes squinted, "What the hell was that?"

"RAGE RIPPLES RELEASED FROM THEIR FLESH PRISONS," Krieg shouts while inwardly scolding himself for saying anything. _Pretty sure Axton doesn't want your opinion actually._

Axton just keeps staring at them until Maya adds, "Just letting off a little steam. Won't happen again. Well," she looks over at Krieg, "at least not in city bounds."

Axton shakes his head and turns to go, mumbling, "I think the crazy around here is catching," as he walks away.

Maya ignores him. "You know what," she huffs out, still laughing a little, "you're a strangely good listener. I feel a lot better now. I guess I needed someone to talk to as much as you needed someone to listen to." She puts a hand on his shoulder and squeezes it, looking him in the eye with a smile. "Thank you."

Krieg feels his heart clench in his chest as their eyes meet. _Tell her you're welcome, that it is our pleasure to be able to help her in any way._ A moment of awkward silence passes when he's worried he won't say anything at all before he shouts, "I'LL EAT YOUR SADNESS LIKE CHIPS," and then inwardly sighs. _I guess that is better than nothing._

But then Maya starts laughing again, her blue lips turned up in a smile and Krieg feels like he's melting, the spot where her hand is resting on his shoulder tingling and warm.

_No, you know what, that was fine Big Guy. You're doing just fine_, he thinks. And his mouth curls into another smile and its a nice smile for once. _Well done._


End file.
